


The Never-Ending Run

by camillamacaulays



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-27
Updated: 2016-01-05
Packaged: 2018-05-09 20:05:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5553578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/camillamacaulays/pseuds/camillamacaulays
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After many brushed shoulders, they finally meet, under (unfortunately) dire circumstances.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meteors

**Author's Note:**

> Hi. This is my first time posting anything to ArchiveOfOurOwn and my first attempt at a SW fanfiction. Hope you enjoy. :)

The lights flicker tentatively. The Earth below her feet shakes. Meteors, breaching D’Qar’s stratosphere barrel towards solid ground, their impact rippling through the very skeleton of the entire planet. 

Rey pokes her head out, raising herself high enough to peer just over the edge of the window sill. She stares into a dark nothingness, speckled with flecks of light. Under normal circumstances, the shower would be a sight to behold. But with the Resistance’s base weak and vulnerable, all fighters were under strict orders to remain indoors, engineers on high alert to repair whatever damages the shower would cause.

She sighs woefully, back twisting and slipping back to the tiled floor. Rey was never one to sit still. It made her feel trapped. Restless. Calloused hands trace the surface of her knees in fidgety patterns, while she tries to still the maddening noise inside her head.

A familiar sound – a cadence of mechanical beeping – pulls Rey from her thoughts.

“BeeBee-Eight!” a voice, that she has heard several times before, calls. “BeeBee-Eight, where are you –“

BB-8 dutifully rolls into Rey’s quarters, head tilting towards her followed by a hurried beeping rhythm.

Rey gravitates towards him in an instant, relieved to be met by a friendly face. “BeeBee-Eight, what are you doing here?” she croaks, affectionate fingers dragging across the droid’s sleek metal.

Then, another figure appears in the doorway.

Poe Dameron. The Resistance’s _best_ fighter pilot.

“There you are,” he breathes, eyes set on the droid. Not Rey.

Rey shrinks away and leaps to her feet. “He just rolled in here,” she states defensively, almost hostile.

Poe eyes the droid and sweeps his gaze back up to meet hers before cracking a grin. “Yeah. He tends to do that. Going wherever he pleases,” he replies, gaining ground inside her quarters by stepping in.

The acute tension that stiffened Rey’s shoulders melts away by a fraction, and she nods.

“You’re Rey, right?” Poe continues, eyes distractedly flitting up to the ceiling while the lights continue to stutter.

“Yes,” Rey answers, “and you’re Poe Dameron.” She’d heard several stories, mostly from Finn. But amid all the panic, the opportunity to be formally introduced had never presented itself. Until now.

“It’s good to finally meet you,” Poe says, offering her a hand, the same, amicable smile still etched into his features.

It’s when Rey reaches to meet his hand that the Earth shakes again, this time more violently than ever before.  

BB-8 clamours in alarm.

“We gotta move,” Poe says, extending to meet her hand, still caught mid-air in hesitation. Cracks begin to split apart the walls to her quarters as the trembling intensifies with every impact.

There was no time to debate or argue.

And as the trio swept out of the quarters, the ceiling gave way to a volley of rubble.

 


	2. Run For Cover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey, Poe and BB-8 are trying to find a way out of the base, as it caves in. But when they finally reach an exit, the doors fail to open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glad to see a few of you have been enjoying the story so far. Here's chapter 2. :)

He’s holding her hand.

Somehow, amidst the chaos, Rey finds the time to narrow her eyes and glare at the sight. The urge to pry her hand free was ominously present, and yet she did not struggle against the grip on her palm. Now, while the corridors were caving in, was not the time to start the worn discussion of how she could take care of herself.

Evading the rubble that falls from the ceiling, Poe’s fingers dig deeper into her skin as they speed over towards the blast doors. Poe skids to a stop, hand jamming against the control terminal.

But the doors don’t open.

“Damn,” he furiously presses his hand against the console again, “the doors won’t open.” 

BB-8 rolls alongside his flank while Rey shoots worried glances over her shoulder.

Respectfully, she waits a beat before joining BB-8 at Poe’s side, “Can I give it a try?”

Poe shoots her a reluctant glance but withdraws his hands from the console, lifting them up in the air, “Be my guest.” 

Rey slides into his position, eyeing the console, eyebrows furrowed. There’s no glaringly obvious reason why the doors aren’t opening. It’s possible the doors sustained too much damage from the shower of meteors.

Her jaw clenches, frantically combing through her thoughts and then – 

It’s a long shot.

“What is it?” Poe asks, noticing the look in her eye.

Rey doesn’t say anything. Instead, she hunches down to her knees, turning the back of the console around. She removes the metal plating and digs a hand inside, hands weaving through a chaos of wires. Then, she pulls. 

A heavy mechanical sound rumbles.

And the doors give way. Not entirely, but just enough.

“Great work!” Poe exclaims, reaching down to yank Rey back onto her feet.

BB-8 is the first to take the lead, only just able to squeeze through the crack between the doors. Poe and Rey both follow, slipping through into the great wide open. They run further, deeper into the forest until both of them collapse into the grassy earth, gasping for air.

Rey peers up at the sky, bleeding in lights, chest still rapidly heaving and falling. So beautiful, and so unlike anything she’d ever seen on Jakku.

BB-8’s begins to sing in a high-pitch, rolling to collide against Poe’s frame, who is also still panting, desperate for oxygen.

“Bee-Bee-Eight’s right,” Rey acknowledges, voice hoarse as she props herself up on her elbows. “We have to keep moving. Look for proper cover until the shower ends.”

Poe, less eager, follows her example.

“I know a place.”


	3. Into The Cave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe leads Rey and BB-8 to safety, where they wait out the meteor shower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glad to see people are enjoying the story. Hope this chapter does not disappoint. :)

Before Rey could think to argue, Poe swept down to grab her hand and hoisted her back up on her feet. Though he could have (and arguably should have – for the sake of not having his head bitten off) let go, he held onto hers, leading the way as they wove through the thick foliage, deeper and deeper into the woods. 

Rey grits her teeth giving her hand, enclosed within Poe’s palm, a jerk as they sprint on. Poe’s grip tightens instinctively.

They wade through thick bushes to finally skid to an abrupt stop at the orifice of a cave. 

Poe releases her hand, steps forward and shoots a gleaming grin over his shoulder. “Will this suffice?” he asks, hand propped on the side of his hip.  
Rey falters, staring into the dark nothingness of the cave. It reminds her of the old wrecks she used to scavenge on Jakku. Those she faced, unafraid and without hesitation. This wasn’t (shouldn’t) be any different.

“Yes,” she breathes, still catching her breath and brushes past him briskly, “this’ll do.” 

Rey sinks down, settling in the dirt, cross-legged. Her eyes almost immediately identify a heap of wood, a few feet out of reach. She furrows her brow and sends Poe, who draws into the cave with BB-8 shadowing him, a silent and questioning look.

“Firewood,” he states matter-of-factly, already reaching to gather a bunch and tucks it underneath his arm. Steepling the logs, twigs and branches together, he continues: “New resistance recruits train in these woods. Survival missions, that sort of thing.” 

BB-8 circles the pile, deploying its igniter to set the wood alight. 

Rey shoots the droid a grateful glance, intuitively inching closer towards the fire. The heat it radiates is more than welcome, as nights upon D’Qar grew cold, temperatures dropping dangerously close to frost territory. She warms her hands and feels the warmth of the fetal flames kiss the skin of her cheeks. 

All the while she doesn’t realize Poe is quietly studying her. 

When she does notice – a moment too late – she immediately stiffens again, folding her hands into her lap self-consciously.

Poe chuckles, endeared: “You can relax now,” he assures her, “We’ll be safe here. And the meteor shower won’t last throughout the entire night.” 

Rey casts a look outside, to the blazing spheres, still raining down from the sky. She thinks of Finn, and his safety. Of General Organa, and the other Resistance fighters. The lines in her forehead deepen, her mind beginning to spin.

“Hey,” Poe says, appearing at her side rather suddenly. He reaches a comforting hand out to her shoulder and squeezes gently. “You should try to get some rest.” 

BB-8 chirps in seeming agreement.

For the first time, Rey shows the faintest hint of a smile and nods carefully, holds his gaze and moves away a moment later. Her frame curls up, palms tucked beneath her cheek.

Soon, her breath comes to a slow, her chest rising and falling like lazy waves lapping up to the shore. Sleep is almost within her grasp, and as she begins to sink she catches the last murmurings exchanged between Poe and BB-8.

“You were right, Bee-Bee-Eight,” Poe mumbles, polishing the droid’s visor, “she’s a tough one.”


End file.
